Imperfect
by likecominghome
Summary: Stiles makes a big decision without discussing it with Lydia and she is far from pleased.


The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. He isn't sure what to do. They've never had a fight like this before. Generally, when they're angry they just yell until they realize they're both being ridiculous.

But this time is different.

She's pacing. Twisting the diamond ring he'd given her a few months before around her finger. Raking her fingers through her hair. She hasn't said a word for the past ten minutes and he has no idea what that means.

"Lyd," he calls out, desperate to break the silence. "Baby, can you say something?"

She stops her movements, just staring at him for a moment, her eyes shining with tears. Finally, she shrugs and throws up her hands. "I don't know what to say?"

"That you support my decision?" he suggests meekly.

The glare she sends him could melt the ice caps. "Support your decision? Did you hit your head recently?"

That's fair. He did sort of spring this on her. Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it first."

She blinks, her lips set into a thin line. "That's it? That's all you got?"

He gestures wildly, swinging his arms in frustration before finally shoving them in the pockets of his jeans. "What do you want me to say?"

"What I want is for you to say this is all one gigantic joke," she spits out bitterly.

"I can't do that," he whispers. "I've already committed."

"Perfect," she sighs, sinking down onto the couch. "I can't believe this is happening."

Taking two steps across the room, he cautiously takes a seat beside her, clapping her small hands between his large palms. "Lydia, this isn't the end of the world. It's just a job."

"A job all the way across the country," she replies pointedly, her stare still hard. "For a year."

"We can make this work," he assures her, squeezing her hands tightly.

Shaking her head slowly, she removes her hands from between his, her eyes sad when their gazes meet. "That's not why I'm upset."

He can sense from the way the corners of her lips are pulled downwards into a frown that the remainder of this conversation is going to be utterly tragic. Taking a deep breath, he prepares himself. "Then what is it?"

"Stiles," she says slowly, "What does it say about our relationship that you made a decision this big and didn't even think to talk to me about it?"

"That I'm spontaneous and I like to live on the edge?"

That earns him another glare. "Or that you don't value my opinion."

His expression softens and he wishes he could take her hands, but they're folded neatly in her lap. "Of course I do. You know you're always the first person that I think of when I'm making any sort of decision."

"Am I though?" she raises an eyebrow. "Because you also put the down payment on this apartment without telling me."

He furrows his brow in confusion. "Because you said you loved it and I wanted to surprise you for your birthday."

"And that's sweet and all, but how much further is this going to go?" she goes on. "What if one day we want to have kids?"

"I'm pretty sure that we both have to be involved for us to have kids," he cuts in.

Another glare. He stays quiet. "Are you going to make massive decisions about them without telling me as well? Like buying them cars and telling them they can date and giving them permission to get married?"

"Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?" he asks.

She blinks as though she can't believe he could have even had that thought. Staring at him pointedly, she sets her lips into a scowl and pulls the diamond ring from her finger, shoving it back in his face. "You want melodrama? This is melodrama."

"What the hell, Lydia?" he half yells as she forces the ring into his palm and closes his fingers around it. "Are you seriously breaking off our engagement just to prove a point?"

"Maybe," she challenges, keeping her gaze direct.

He stares at her in wide eyed disbelief. That fire he loves about her is burning in her eyes and he would almost believe that this was truly the end of their relationship if it hadn't been for that slight upturn of the corner of her lip. She's trying her hardest not to burst out laughing; he can tell.

But despite the extremeness of her tactics, she does have a point. He had accepted the job offer without thinking about what it meant for Lydia and that was wrong. The truth is, it's his dream job and he's not sure if another opportunity like this will come around.

Still, they've been together for nearly five years and he really should know better.

"I'm sorry," he concedes, his heart rate picking up as he wonders whether or not she actually meant it when she took off her engagement ring.

She lifts an eyebrow. "That's a good start."

"Babe," he sighs. "I know that I can be impulsive and dramatic and not think things through fully before I do them, but I promise I'm always thinking about you. And I think this is just another new adventure we can go on together."

Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she nods, her posture dropping to something more relaxed. "To be honest, this isn't about you not telling me."

He wonders why she's so hesitant to say anything. Lydia's never been one to filter her thoughts in front of him; brutal honesty is one of the things he loves about their relationship. Brows furrowed in concern, he leans forward a little. "Then what is it?"

Her eyes are shiny with tears when she raises them to meet his gaze and it makes him feel like someone has reached inside his chest and is wringing out his heart like a wet towel.

"It's New York City, Stiles," she says, her voice just barely above a whisper and cracking slightly as she speaks. "I know Beacon Hills isn't exactly the safest place on earth, but at least when you come home, you come home to me. I can always get ahold of you when I need you. I'm constantly worrying about you. Do you know how much my concern is going to magnify if you're all the way across the country? I'm not spending an entire year of my life not sleeping because I'm constantly wondering whether you've been shot to death in an alley."

It suddenly occurs to him that she still has a year left of graduate school. He squeezes his eyes shut at his thoughtlessness. There had to be a reasonable solution to this. He's almost one hundred percent positive that she won't bite, but he throws an offer out there.

"We don't have to be apart," he says, almost begging. "You could come with me. You could transfer."

She rolls her eyes. "What would be the point? I know this is something that you want to experience, but you also know that we're just going to end up back here?"

He feels a little lighter because despite her anger, she's still referring to them as a couple. "Why do you say that?"

"Because this is home," she sighs. "I know this town can drive you to the brink of insanity, but it's home. This is where all of our family is; all of our friends. Everyone we love is here, so why would we ever spend the rest of our lives anywhere else?"

She has a point, yet again. Truthfully, it's not like he ever planned on moving away permanently. This job was a chance for him to try something new and exciting. But deep down, he knows Beacon Hills will always be where his heart truly is.

He nods, but feels like they're at an impasse. He clenches his fist, wincing because he forgets the diamond ring that's now left an imprint in his skin. "So what do we do now?"

Sighing, she scoots closer to him; her palms rising to hold his cheeks gently. Her thumbs graze his cheekbones in the gesture she uses to calm him when he's freaking out. Leaning forward, she kisses him gently, but it's bittersweet due to the words that follow.

"I think you should go. But I'm going to stay here."

His eyes search expression, looking for some hint of doubt, some sign that she could possibly change her mind. But her gaze is direct and her lips set in the line that always indicates that there's no turning back.

"I love you, you know," he says.

"I know," she lifts the corners of her lips in a small smile. "And I love you."

"But what about us?" he asks, his heart physically aching.

"This is for us," she assures him. "I know how much you wanted a job like this and I don't want to hold you back. And I know you don't want to hold me back either. If I went with you, you know we'd just end up resenting each other. It's better this way. I promise."

He lets out a watery laugh. "You're not going to forget about me and fall for some PhD candidate from the math department, are you?"

"How could I?" she shrugs with not an ounce of sugary sentimentality in her voice. "Your fingerprints are practically tattooed on my heart."

He doesn't know how to respond to that, so he leans forward and gives her a sweet kiss, this time holding their lips together for as long as possible until they both needed to breathe again.

"We can make this work," he assures her when they pull apart. "I know long distance relationships are hard, but it's only for a year."

"A year is a long time, Stiles," she says warily. "So much can change in a year."

"But my feelings for you won't," he replies firmly. "I'm still going to want to marry you. Whether it's tomorrow or ten years from now. What about you? Do you think you're still going to want to marry me in a year?"

She stares at him and for one heart wrenching moment he thinks she's going to say no, but then she rolls her eyes and laughs. "Of course I am, you idiot."

"Then will you put this back on?" he asks, opening his palm to reveal the diamond ring.

She nods and holds out her hand and he grins as he slips the ring back into its rightful place. "I'm sorry I took it off in the first place. You're right, I was just being dramatic."

"It's alright," he smiles. "I guess neither one of us is perfect."

"Maybe not," she smiles softly as she leans in for another kiss. "But together, we're pretty damn close."


End file.
